Social Determinants of Youth Value Orientations: Evidence from a Survey in Yazd Province

Abstract
Values are among the most fundamental sociological concepts, playing a pivotal role in shaping social actions, choices, and structures. This quantitative study aims to examine the value orientations of young people in Yazd Province and analyze the associated factors. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a stratified random sample of 708 young individuals aged 18 to 35 from the cities of Yazd, Bafq, Meybod, Ardakan, and Abarkooh. Four dimensions of value orientation materialism, universalism, individualism, and agency-seeking—were investigated. The findings indicate that materialistic orientation is above the average level, while universalism received the highest score among the four dimensions. Moreover, significant relationships were found between value orientations and variables such as employment status, place of residence, socioeconomic status, access to facilities, and the use of virtual space, whereas religiosity and media use showed no significant impact. Overall, the results suggest that young people are reinterpreting their values and seeking an identity that is independent of and distinct from traditional framework
Keywords: Value Orientation, Value Preferences, Selfishness, Agency, Universalism, Materialism.
 
1. Introduction
Values are a foundational concept in sociology, serving as key reference points that shape social behavior, inform individual choices, and underlie the construction of social institutions. Their sociological importance becomes particularly salient in the case of youth, who often act as agents of social change and sites of cultural negotiation. In Iran, ongoing processes of economic modernization, cultural hybridization, and shifting social norms have led to significant transformations in value systems across generations. Consequently, Iranian youth have developed more reflexive, individual-centered identities as they navigate tensions between tradition and modernity. Yazd province, with its distinctive religious heritage and cultural hybridity, represents a compelling case for examining youth value orientations. The coexistence of traditional norms and modern lifestyles creates a unique social field in which competing value systems intersect. While much of the existing literature on value change has concentrated on national-level trends, there remains a critical lack of localized, sociocultural embedded studies that explore how regional dynamics mediate value preferences. Addressing this gap, the present quantitative study investigates the value orientations of young people living in multiple urban contexts within Yazd province. The research seeks to identify dominant value patterns among Yazdi youth in the midst of contemporary cultural transitions and to assess the structural, individual, and situational factors that influence these orientations.
 
2. Materials and Methods
This quantitative study employed a stratified random sampling technique, targeting young adults aged 18 to 35 residing in five major cities across Yazd province. The sampling strategy ensured adequate representation across diverse socioeconomic and demographic strata. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire encompassing key variables such as employment status, urban or rural residence, access to essential living facilities, socioeconomic status, use of virtual platforms, levels of religiosity, media consumption patterns, and various value orientation indicators. To ensure instrument validity and reliability, the questionnaire underwent multiple validation stages, including face and content validation, exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha. These procedures confirmed the methodological soundness and coherence of the instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS software through both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Descriptive analyses (frequencies, means) provided a general profile of the sample and variable distributions. Inferential analyses included independent-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression models, allowing for the examination of significant associations and the simultaneous impact of independent variables on youth value orientations. These analytical strategies support the validity and rigor of the study’s methodological framework.
 
3. Data
The data gathered from young adults aged 18 to 35 across five major cities in Yazd province—Yazd, Bafq, Meybod, Ardakan, and Abarkooh—reveal statistically significant associations between several key variables and youth value orientations. Employment status, residential location, access to living facilities, socioeconomic standing, and engagement with virtual spaces all showed meaningful correlations with value dimensions. Specifically, egocentrism, individual agency, and materialism were notably influenced by these factors, while altruism remained relatively unaffected. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including ANOVA and Pearson correlation, confirmed the robustness of these associations. Stepwise multiple regression further indicated that virtual space usage and access to living facilities were the strongest predictors, jointly accounting for 18% of the variance in value orientations. These findings highlight the central role of structural and technological conditions in shaping the emerging value systems among youth in contemporary Iranian society.
 
4. Discussion
The results of this study reveal that youth value orientations in Yazd province are shaped by a multifaceted interplay of structural, situational, and individual factors, resisting any singular or uniform trajectory of value formation. Employment status and residential location significantly influence value configurations: employed youth are more inclined toward individualistic orientations—such as egocentrism and materialism—in line with Bourdieu’s theory of how economic and social capital shape lifestyle practices and symbolic preferences. Furthermore, geographic and cultural distinctions embedded in different residential settings are associated with variations in agency and materialistic values, supporting Inglehart’s theory of value change under the pressures of modernization and post-materialist transformation. Access to life facilities and increased engagement with virtual spaces emerged as key factors reinforcing materialist and individualist tendencies. Virtual environments, in particular, appear to intensify consumerist and self-centered dispositions, playing a critical role in the restructuring of youth value systems within digital and post-traditional contexts. Interestingly, while religiosity does not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with the overall configuration of youth value orientations, it remains associated with specific dimensions—such as altruism and resistance to materialism—indicating a selective rather than comprehensive role. This observation aligns with Giddens’ view of religion in late modernity as a source of personal meaning, operative in specific life domains rather than exerting uniform influence across all aspects of social life.
 
5. Conclusion
This study highlights that youth value orientations in Yazd province are fundamentally shaped by structural factors such as employment status, place of residence, and socioeconomic position. Employment grants access to resources that promote individualistic, materialistic, and egocentric values, whereas unemployed youth and homemakers tend to adhere to collectivist and reflective values. Spatial disparities reveal that urban and economically developed areas foster agentic and materialist orientations, while less-developed regions maintain traditional values. Access to material and cultural capital significantly reinforces individualism, whereas altruistic values remain grounded in familial socialization. The virtual space intensifies materialistic and egocentric tendencies more than traditional media. Regarding religiosity, youth exhibit a privatization of religious values, integrating modern and traditional elements. While virtual environments facilitate social participation and agency, they also contribute to the erosion of collective orientations. These findings suggest that policy interventions should focus on media literacy and ethical digital engagement, alongside improving equitable access to social amenities, particularly in underdeveloped areas, to promote balanced value orientations and youth well-being.